UK Newswire Archive
The SI alive and well
22-01-2012 21:31
Nottingham Occupation Camp now at day 100
22-01-2012 18:55
Sunday 22 January 2012
Now at day 100. Gosh!!
Who would have thought they'd be sticking it out this long. Very well done all.
Speaking about the motives behind the occupation, a camper who has been there from the start said: "We will be here for as long as it takes. We want to get people to realise enough is enough. We may not be able to stay here forever, but we are still trying to raise public awareness. We're still getting overwhelming support from people."
Another camper said: "Initially we were hoping for 24 hours but we have exceeded that. The message is beginning to get out there. People of all walks of life are starting to take notice and take things on board. We would like to see the city council being a bit more vocal with the Government. Our MPs also need to stand up for our city in Parliament."
***
I think those holding out against the elements for these issues, need to be congratulated for their commitments and deserve help and support from us.
Please drop by and offer your time, help, donations of food, bedding, waterproofing, warm clothing ...... oh, a bit of love.
Loads of earlier postings ...... but, here are the main features
Nottingham is occupied [1st Feature]
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2079
Nottingham Occupation Continues [2nd Feature]
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2100
Occupy Notttingham: Moved but still in occupation [3rd Feature]
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2116
Occupy Notttingham: Still there [4th Feature]
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2147
Nottingham Occupy Nottingham: No plans for eviction. Yet. [5th Feature]
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2193
Occupy Notttingham: Two months in [6th Feature]
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2266
Occupy Nottingham: Xmas and New Year in Market Sq [7th Feature]
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2287
and ......
Characters I've met during Cuts & Occupy Campaigns
http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2124
____________________________________________
ALAN LODGE
Photographer - Media: One Eye on the Road. Nottingham. UK
Email: tash@indymedia.org
Web: http://digitaljournalist.eu
Member of the National Union of Journalists [NUJ]
____________________________________________
"It is not enough to curse the darkness.
It is also necessary to light a lamp!!"
___________________________________________
<ends>
right to protest consulations end today
22-01-2012 18:55
today and tomorrow are respectively the deadlines for getting your comments in to the two consultations aiming to criminalise protest camps in london.
based on the new PASRA law which covers parliament square, the department of culture and the GLA are both running consultations before attempting to bring in draconian new bye-laws that will criminalise protest camps in trafalgar square and in the royal parks. westminster has already finished its own consultation covering much of the borough especially areas around government buildings and corporations and any green patches.
the new law and proposed bye-laws criminalise any attempt to sleep overnight at a protest site, giving police and council authorities the powers to seize tents and any other apparatus deemed to be designed to aid an overnight stay. there are powers of forfeiture, and criminal sanctions including fines and even exclusion orders. the new rules will also outlaw megaphones and other amplifying equipment, again allowing seizure.
despite the draconian style of the new legislation, the authorities describe their sanctions, without irony, not to be an attack on the right to protest, but as just an innoccent attempt to prevent nuisance. however, george young was more direct on thursday in a commons response recorded by hansard in which he stated Finally, I would say that "we have also restored the historic right to protest, as long as those protesting go home at the end of the day." (http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2012-01-19a.883.0&s=protest+parliament#g889.6)
today and tomorrow are the closing dates for the two currently open consultations. the westminster consultation specifically referred to the 'occupation' movement and described the new rules as a pre-emptive move to prevent any 'occupy' sites from establishing in the area. these are the beginning of GWOC, the global war on camping, which is a direct response to recent trends in peaceful and effective protest.
responding to public consultations CAN help. huge negative responses swayed the government over SOCPA, and were also part of the campaign that saw off westminster council's attempts last year to criminalise feeding the homeless - yes, really!
the consultations can be found at http://www.culture.gov.uk/consultations/8710.aspx for the royal parks (ending tomorrow, monday the 23rd jan), and the GLA one at http://www.london.gov.uk/consultation/draft-byelaws-trafalgar-square-and-parliament-square-garden (ending today, sunday the 22nd) for trafalgar square.
for more info on the background to the legislation and the battle for the right to protest in parliament square, see http://london.indymedia.org/articles/11456
OffMarket Project Coming To An End
22-01-2012 18:55
It is with mixed feelings that we announce the end of the offMarket project. We took disused buildings and try to turn them into open resources for the wider community. We started the project with a big collective. Now there are only a few people left in the collective and we can't carry it anymore as everyone is becoming increasingly tired. We doubt that we will open a new space in the future, but one can never say never. Keep readng ...
Many of you will remember that it was just over a year ago that we opened our first space on Lower clapton Road. After a few months we were evicted from that space and we moved up the road into a larger space. During this time offMarket became a busy social hub in the local community with lots of different activities happening on a regular basis. Activities included practical squatters evenings, a freeshop, a bike workshop where one can get their bikes fixed, massage sessions, life drawing, photography, self defense, a monthly cafe, french lessons, haircuts and so much more! These workshops and more proves how people can share a variety of knowledge with the wider community without the use of money. When we found out that we were going to be evicted from this place, it was decided to take some time to reflect on how the previous spaces worked and dream before we opened the next and last space. In October we opened the latest and last incarnation of the offMarket space on Dalston Lane.
We were recently served papers and so we will be out of the current and final offMarket space within the next four weeks. But until then, we will still be running practical squatters evenings and herbal & gardening workshops. If someone or a group would like to use the space for a workshop or a meeting in the next few weeks, we would most likely be up for hosting it at offMarket. So please do get in touch if you are interested.
We would like to give a shout out to all those who helped and supported the offMarket project throughout the past year: all the people who came and used the space, those that helped run and maintained the spaces, those who put on workshops, the police for a new door made out of corrugated iron, everyone who donated stuff, friendly neighbours, developers, landlords and councils for leaving buildings empty, Advisory Service for Squatters for writing our defenses, all past and present collective and crew members who were part of offMarket, and everyone who took a minute to tell us that it was great that a place like offMarket existed. We would like to give special thanks to Steve who visited regularly for some tea and cake in the early days of the offMarket project, to Ishmael for providing us with an never ending supply of tea, and to Richard who always warmed us with his big smile.
Each and every one of you made offMarket what it was. Without you, offMarket would not have been the same. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Last but not least, we would like to affirm our belief that Northeast London deserves to have a social centre. If this is somethinthat you are interested, we encourage you to go for it!
Love
the current offMarket collective
Sparks Facing Defeat As Unite Urges Contract Acceptance
22-01-2012 18:21
Record £1/2million Breach of the Peace ‘VENDETTA’ trial.
22-01-2012 16:55
Record £1/2million Breach of the Peace ‘VENDETTA’ trial of anti-abuse campaigner set for next week, Angiolini to appear as witness ?Satirical video: "Devo-Max No to separation". Scottish referendum to be rigged
22-01-2012 16:55
Devo-Max No to separation. Scottish referendum rigged (YouTube)
Be ready for Salmond's referendum sell-out to the Queen
22-01-2012 16:55
Glasgow Picket Against Adecco Supplying scabs at ABB Factory Cordoba Spain
22-01-2012 16:55
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Glasgow Picket Against Adecco Supplying Strikebreakers at the ABB Factory Cordoba Spain
Earth First! Winter Moot, what to expect
22-01-2012 15:15
This years Earth First! Winter Moot takes place in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. In a months time environmentalists from across the UK and beyond will converge to discuss and debate. Below is an update from the organising collective who are working on the program.A short analysis of the Cretan Independence Movement
22-01-2012 14:52
A warning for all independence movements.Times are a changin’ - a look back over 2011
22-01-2012 13:34
Nottingham City Council plans more cuts
22-01-2012 12:55
Nottingham City Council has announced its proposals for the 2012-13 budget, these include extensive cuts to jobs and services as well as a council tax hike. Notts SOS has begun a campaign against the planned cuts and urged supporters to attend council consultation events around the city in order to challenge councillors.
On the newswire: Notts SOS protest city council cuts budget | Nottingham City Council Budget Consultations | Cuts and tax rises at Nottingham City Council | Notts SOS Indymedia group
Previous features: No Cuts in Nottingham! | Resistance to Nottingham City Cuts
The council is planning to
- increase council tax by 3.49%
- encourage staff to volunteer to reduce their hours from 37 to 35 hours a week
- realign management and cut 195 jobs while also reducing redundancy payments for laid-off workers to the legal minimum (this will be the third time redundancy payments at the authority have been attacked
- close the Museum of Nottingham Life (Brewhouse Yard), except for group and school visits
- close two centres for older people, Marlstones Elderly Person’s Home in Bulwell and the Willows Centre in Beechdale
- sell-off Portland Leisure Centre
- cut food waste collection and close nine recycling sites
- reduce funding to Connexions, a support service for young people
The proposals will be voted on by a full council meeting on 5th March.
The council has also said that this would not be the end to the cuts, with an additional £24m of cutbacks required by the end of the spring 2015.
In total the council hope to save £20m to cover a shortfall arising from reduced government funding as a result of the coalition government’s austerity drive.
Notts SOS believe that the cuts agenda is ideologically driven and are urging councillors to stand-up to central government.
Claire Taylor from Notts SOS said, "Council Leader Jon Collins and Deputy Leader Graham Chapman have been vocally critical of central government and often with good reason. Now it’s time for them to put their money where their mouth is and refuse to pass the cuts onto the people of Nottingham. Even a single council refusing to implement a cuts budget would shake the coalition government."
Rosemary Muge from the group added, "The same week the council announced it’s planned cuts, Goldman Sachs revealed an £8 billion pay and bonus bill for UK staff in 2011 – equating to £238,832 for every worker. The bankers who caused this crisis have avoided paying for it and instead the cost is being borne by ordinary people. Nottingham is already a deprived city it needs investment not further cutbacks."
Maude's staff in Clarkson-style 'joke' about attacking trade unionists
22-01-2012 12:25
TORIES at cabinet minister Francis Maude’s Horsham constituency offices seem to be taking ‘union-bashing’ rather too literally.Kurdish activists in sentenced to death by Iran's islamic regime
22-01-2012 10:17
http://kurdishrights.org/2012/01/18/kurdish-activists-in-iran-sentenced-to-death/
Censorship: Britain bans Press TV
21-01-2012 20:56
Notts SOS protest city council cuts budget
21-01-2012 18:55
Anti-cuts campaigners protest Nottingham City Council cuts budget
Anti-cuts campaigners today (Saturday 21st January) launched a campaign calling on city councillors to vote against Nottingham City Council's proposed budget for 2013-14.
Nottinghamshire Save Our Services (Notts SOS) held a stall in the Market Square to raise awareness of what the council is planning and collect signatures for a petition calling on the council not to impose further cuts.
Notts SOS is also calling on people concerned about the impact of the cuts to attend consultation sessions being run by the council to challenge councillors to reject the proposals.
Earlier this week, Nottingham City Council announced budget proposals which foresee a 3.49% council tax increase alongside 195 job cuts.
The council are looking at selling-off Portland Leisure Centre; closing two centres for older people, Marlstones Elderly Person’s Home in Bulwell and the Willows Centre in Beechdale; closing the Museum of Nottingham Life at Brewhouse Yard; cutting food waste collections and closing nine recycling centres; reducing funding to Connexions, a support service for young people; and reducing redundancy payments for laid-off staff to the legal minimum.
In total the council hope to save £20m to cover a shortfall arising from reduced government funding as a result of the coalition government's austerity drive.
The council has also said that this would not be the end to the cuts, with an additional £24m of cutbacks required by the end of the spring 2015.
Notts SOS believe that the cuts agenda is ideologically driven and are urging councillors to stand-up to central government.
Claire Taylor from Notts SOS said, "Council Leader Jon Collins and Deputy Leader Graham Chapman have been vocally critical of central government and often with good reason. Now it's time for them to put their money where their mouth is and refuse to pass the cuts onto the people of Nottingham. Even a single council refusing to implement a cuts budget would shake the coalition government."
Rosemary Muge from the group added, "The same week the council announced it's planned cuts, Goldman Sachs revealed an £8 billion pay and bonus bill for UK staff in 2011 - equating to £238,832 for every worker. The bankers who caused this crisis have avoided paying for it and instead the cost is being borne by ordinary people. Nottingham is already a deprived city it needs investment not further cutbacks."
Notes for editors
1. Notts SOS was launched in September 2010. They oppose cuts to services, job losses and cuts in benefits and aim to support workers organisations, service users, community groups in fighting cuts in Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire. They hope to inspire confidence to think, meet and act. And to be inspired.
2. Last year Notts SOS held a demonstration when the city council met to set its budget. A petition was presented to Deputy Leader Graham Chapman. Councillors were later heckled from the public gallery and Jon Collins was challenged by protesters while he was being interviewed for the BBC.
ENDS
